Love in a Bottle
by SilentRivers
Summary: Shigeru reaches his breaking point and decides to confess his unrequieted love to the object of his desire.


Title- Love in a Bottle

Author- loyalshishifan

Rating- NC-17 (eventual male/male love)

Pairing- Shigeru/Satoshi

Disclaimer- Not mine...bummer.

A/N- This is my summer love fic for the shishi pairing so enjoy.

It all started with a message in an old bottle that washed up on the shore of Pallet Town and found it's way into one Satoshi's hands...

_**I can't take this stress anymore. Everytime I see you my heart does flips in my throat. All I can think to say is stupid insults that sound juvenile even to my burning ears. I steal glances at you every chance I get and I know I'll never be man enough to tell you how much I love you.**_

_**It's like an all consuming fire in my body, this love I feel for you. I fear it's going to consume me entirely if I don't express it somehow. So I'm being a coward and writing this letter that you'll never see because you're off in another land entirely while I'm just as far away.**_

_**So I'll tell you the only way I can...I love you with every fiber of my being...I would lay down my life for you...Anything you desire I will make happen...and I would give anything to have you know it and return that love.**_

_**I love you...**_

_**S.O.**_

Satoshi re-read the weathered note once more and wondered who the S.O. was who'd written it. It was obvious the guy was head over heels for someone. It was like one of those old mystery romance novels his mother liked to read while sunbathing on the beach. He guessed it wouldn't hurt to keep it. After all, it wasn't often you got such nice offerings from the sea in these parts.

Besides, he was leaving today for New Cinnabar Island for a long over due vacation from training. Blaine had invited him to stay at his new luxury hotel and to attend the grand opening of his new gym. He'd recently recieved a letter from Blaine that said his arcanine had given birth to a litter of 7 growelithes. He was sending a pup as a gift to the trainers he admired the most.

He'd been a bit suprised Blaine had chosen to give him one since it was sort of his fault that his old gym went up in flames...literaly. But he'd accepted graciously and sent the appropriate note of thanks along with a lovely fruit basket. The pup, a female, was sitting at his feet right now looking up at him with huge liquid eyes and wagging tail. Alright, she was beyond adorable and he was quickly falling in love with the sweet little girl.

She had been named ember and it was a fitting name indeed. With a sweet dispostion and a fiery temper, this was not a pup to mess with. Already, even at such a young age, she was in training to bring out her full potential as a fire type pokemon. Misty had been thrilled when he'd told her and had mailed him a scarlet ribbon for her to wear. She'd pranced around the room proudly when he'd tied it on her and looked like a real princess.

But it was time to go now, the ferry was just pulling up alongside the dock and his ticket was ready. He'd be in Cinnabar in about two hours. Recalling Ember, he boarded along with the rest of the passengers and settled in to enjoy the voyage. It wasn't long before his mind was once again drifting through memories and private musings. More then once he'd commented to himself how much Shigeru would have appreciated this or that sight.

It was a bit annoying to be thinking of someone he hadn't seen in nearly a year. Prof. Oak (Shigeru's grandfather) had assigned him to field work months ago so he could gain practical experience with the pokemon. The last he'd heard from Oak was that he was planning on coming home in a few weeks to report on his findings. Come to think of it, every time Satoshi was in town Shigeru seemed to be absent.

If he didn't know better he'd assume Shigeru was purposely avoiding him. But he wouldn't do that...would he? They weren't rivals any longer since Shigeru had gone into research. They'd slowly been re-building their friendship and it sort of hurt to think that he'd do something like that. He couldn't recall doing anything that would have made him totaly avoid him. The last time they'd spoken face to face it had been very pleasent without a hint of bad vibes.

The rest of the ferry ride he spent in deep contemplation, unable to banish thoughts of Shigeru from his mind and determined to talk with him as soon as he was able. But upon his first glimpse of Cinnabar he forcefuly put aside all thought of him and vowed to concentrate solely on having as much fun as possible.

**(Meanwhile, back in Pallet Town...) **

That evening a very much exhausted and foot sore Shigeru arrived home after months of intense field study. His satchel bulged with logs of his findings and he was sure he reeked of something unholy from that rabid gloom he'd tangled with back in Viridian forest. He'd stupidly wandered too close to the patch of newly rooted oddish the pokemon had been nurturing. It was unfortunate he'd had to put them all down.

It was common knowledge among grass type enthusiasts that if you let a rabid gloom breed all the off spring would have inherited the disease. There was a record from decades ago where a pack of rabid glooms had slaughtered every single pokemon in the surrounding area except it's own kind. Scientificaly, it was caused by a genetic mutation in a certain strain of the species. Unfortunately, it was incurable so he'd had no choice but to do what he did. Though his heart hurt from it.

He'd used his arcanine to torch the whole lot of them while forcing himself to watch out of respect for the life he'd been forced to take. He and his pokemon had both wept for a time then given the remains a proper burial. Suddenly he felt filthy and went upstairs to take a hot shower. Reaching his room, he tossed his bag in a corner and stripped down to nothing before turning on the shower and letting the spray wash away the months of dust, grime, and guilt he'd been forced to endure.

Correction, he hadn't been forced to accept the assignment from his grandfather. He'd chosen to go for the same reason he always left Pallet. Satoshi. Even now, the thought of the dark haired young man made him shiver with pent up love and desire. But he was done running from how he felt, it was immature and weak on his part and he was tired of it. He recalled five years ago when he'd been training around Slateport City, he'd had some foolishly romantic notion of pouring out his unrequieted love in a letter which he'd promptly sealed in a bottle and tossed out to sea.

It was doubtful anyone had actualy found it, most likely it was sitting at the bottom of the sea where it would rot forever. But he just couldn't do it anymore, he'd thought distance would dull his feelings for Satoshi but it had only made his heart ache more and he'd always come back briefly when he heard he was in town. But he knew for a fact that he was currently off in Cinnabar for a long vacation. His grandfather had told him in their last phone call to each other.

So he'd purposely come back to re-charge and build himself up to go and face his childhood friend. He was truly going to do it! At last he'd be free to voice how he felt and he'd deal with whatever happened after that. He could handle if Satoshi didn't feel the same, but he'd rather die then have him hate him for revealing how he felt. Though he doubted Satoshi would hate him, but he wasn't quite sure what reaction he'd get.

If he knew Satoshi, which he did, there'd be a moment of utter shock and disbelief followed by a wild rejection then a hasty retreat. Come to think of it, he couldn't recall Satoshi ever having an interest in any girl other then physical appreciation. He hadn't even considered the possibility that he wasn't gay. It could be trickier then he thought. He'd known at a young age that he prefered men over women. It was both physical and emotional. Everytime he'd tried to have a relationship with a woman he would feel absolutely nothing.

For a long time he thought he was broken, but as he got older he educated himself and came to accept the way he was. Very few people knew of his sexual orientation, but then again he didn't really care who knew at all. His grandpa, sister, Satoshi's mom, and a few close friends...those were the only souls who knew so far. But soon that small circle would grow by one and he was beyond nervous about it.

Now that he felt human again, he dressed for warm weather and packed a large suitcase for an extended stay. He'd leave all his work here so his grandpa would have it to go through. He'd discussed his little plan with him a few days ago before he'd arrived home and he'd been very supportive about it. It was a bit embaressing to be talking to his grandpa about his love life, but he needed to fine tune a few things and he'd been a notorius charmer in his youth, or so he'd bragged.

On his way out he grabbed the pokeball that contained his charizard, which he'd be using to fly to Cinnabar. It would take about half an hour and he knew for a fact that it took almost two hours by ferry. This would be much faster and he'd have that handsome, windswept look when he landed. At least, that's what he was going for. They were airborne within seconds and the wind was gusting in his ears like a typhoon. The moment of truth was fast approaching...

**(Back in Cinnabar...)**

The sun was just beginning to set as Satoshi watched from his comfortable position in a beach chair sipping on a pinacolada. Already he was feeling much more relaxed. He didn't have to worry about his pokemon because he'd checked them into the Pokemon Day Care when he'd arrived. After all, he was here on vacation and not to battle anyone. But they had all seemed eager for some R and R too so it was all good.

He was just finishing up his drink when one of the attendants came up to him with a fresh one and a message. "Please pardon the intrusion, sir. But the auburn haired gentelman on the patio sends this drink and his fond regards." the man said before setting the beverage down and departing. Auburn haired? Fond regards? Who the heck sends fond regards? he wondered to himself as he turned to look behind him.

The auburn head in question was none other then Shigeru Oak, his old childhood friend and ex-rival. He was more then a little suprised to see him here since he was supposed to be out in the field. Hurrying over to his table, he sat down with a plop and grinned from ear to ear. He was genuinely happy to see him, though Shigeru didn't quite seem himself. There was a nervous energy he sensed about him that roused his curiosity.

"Geru! I had no idea you would be here. I thought you were still busy with your research." he said as he took a sip from his fresh drink. Shigeru ran a hand through his unruly hair, an old habit, and took a deep breath before speaking. "Satoshi, listen...I've got something really important to tell you and I'm not sure how you're going to take it." he said nervously as his blue/gray eyes locked onto Satoshis warm brown ones.

"Shigeru...what's the matter? You're hardly ever this serious. You're not in trouble are you?" Satoshi asked, becoming immediately concerned for his friend. He took hold of Satoshis hands and refused to let go as Satoshi tried to free them. "No, it's nothing like that...but listen! Be still and really hear what I'm about to say. Don't go into denial or try to run away because I'll always be able to find you again...because I...I lo...damnit!...Satoshi, I'm in love with you. I have been for ages but I haven't had the guts to tell you. It's ok if you don't feel the same but please, dear God, please don't hate me for it." he said in one breath before letting go of his hands and getting up to leave.

"I'll give you some space to think about it. No matter how you decide, I still want to see you again." he said, a hint of sadness in his voice as he tossed a duplicate of his card key for his room on the table. Satoshi barely had time to blink before he'd vanished into the crowd. Did he just say...? No, I must have heard him all wrong. There's no way Shigeru could be in love with me. Could he? But wouldn't it explain all the times when he'd come home and Shigeru had suddenly left on urgent research buisness?

How long had he felt this way? He hadn't really started avoiding him until after the Silver Conference, but before that he'd always gone out of his way to pester and torment him. At times intentionaly seeking out where he was in order to taunt him into a battle. That wasn't the sign that someone loved you. Or maybe he didn't realize it at the time? Maybe he sought me out because he wanted to be near me and when he realized why it freaked him out so he started avoiding me.

That made more sense, at least to him anyway. But how did he feel about Shigeru? He'd admit there hadn't been any love lost when they were kids, they'd been too busy trying to best each other. But to be honest, he'd always felt a rush of happiness when he Shigeru. At least until he started sniping at him verbaly. But love? There was no doubt that Shigeru was easy on the eyes. Tall, well toned, wild reddish hair, and intense blue/gray eyes...any man or woman would be thrilled to catch him.

But love? Did he himself even feel that way about other men? Sure, he'd oggled his fair share of hot girls, but it never did anything for him on any level at all. So how did he feel when he looked at his friend? He closed his eyes and brought up Shigerus image in his mind, along with his voice and mannerisms. Then he tried to imagine himself doing something intimate with him and felt the color rise to his cheeks.

His eyes snapped open and he noticed he was breathing a bit heavier then usual. Could it be? Could he actualy feel something of a romantic nature towards his best friend? Did he even want to? Yes, he would want to and if he was honest with himself he could admit he'd had the occasional less then innocent thought about Shigeru. But was it simple lust or something more? Should he just sleep with him and see what happens? No, Shigeru isn't that kind of guy.

Confusion plaqued him as he snatched up the key and ran up to Shigerus room. Entering quietly, he noticed that he'd fallen asleep on the bed fully clothed. Quietly he shut and locked the door before bashfully stripping out of his own clothes and slipping carefully into bed next to him. So Shigeru loved him...he watched him as he slept and brushed an errant lock of hair from his eyes.

This was unfamiliar territory for him and he had no clue how to proceed or make it work. But he was willing to try and learn. Shigerus eyes fluttered open and grew wide when he realized who exactly was in his bed and in what state of undress. "Satoshi...what are you..?" he asked groggily as he tried to get up. But Satoshi held him gently in place, not letting him pull away.

"I'm not running away" Satoshi told him calmly "but I need to understand how it happened." Shigeru nodded acceptingly as he gathered his thoughts to explain how he'd come to be in love with his best friend who happened to be a boy.

"I was about 9 I think when I first noticed I liked looking at boys more then girls. It scared me since all the other boys talked about was how pretty some girl was. But all I could do was stare at you. I never gave a second thought to the other boys. For some reason I only had eyes for you. I thought I was broken and thought if I made myself like girls this feeling would go away.

But it didn't. More and more I was becoming obsessed with you and the closer the time came for us to begin our journeys the more afraid I became. What if you found out? I thought you'd hate me for sure and never talk to me again. So I tried to push you away before you did it to me. I said horrible things to you that made me cry myself to sleep most nights.

I thought it had worked when you started getting mad back at me. But the feelings I had for you never changed but only intensified. It was becoming really alarming to me so I broke down and confided in my grandpa. If it wasn't for his understanding I don't know where I'd be today. Thanks to him I came to accept there was nothing wrong with me at all. That it was perfectly normal that some boys liked other boys and it was nothing to be ashamed of.

Of course, as I got older I learned much more about what it meant to be gay and now I'm fine with it. But as we got older, it got harder and harder for me to keep being horrible to you and it was just easier to start avoiding you completely. My feelings for you were as strong and real as ever, but I never had the courage to express it to you and own up to my shoddy behaviour towards you.

I know I'm a coward and a miserable bastard for what I've put you through. In a way I don't want you to forgive me, I feel I need to suffer a lot more before I'm close to forgiveness. But I love you so much and I'm even more selfish for wanting you to love me back. That's really all there is to it..." he finished, sounding so forlorn and pathetic that Satoshi instinctively reached out to him and let himself be gathered into his strong embrace.

Shigeru wept, long and bitterly, as Satoshi soothed and stroked his head until he'd cried himself out. It was amazing really, Satoshi hadn't seen him cry since they were both very young when he'd fallen off his bike and broken his arm. He'd cried because he couldn't fix it for him and he'd had to go to the hospital. But now, all those tiny clues in their shared past should have become a glaring beacon to him now of what was going on.

But as usual, he'd been oblivious to anyones feelings but his own. He truly wanted to love Shigeru the way he wanted and even if it didn't work out he could say he'd tried his hardest to make it work. After a few minutes of peaceful silence Satoshi leaned into Shigeru and gently touched his lips to his. He half expected him to push him away due to his own self loathing but was more then a little suprised when he felt himself being held tightly and Shigerus lips and tounge forging a blazing trail down his throat and neck.

And he liked it, very much indeed. It wasn't long before Shigerus clothes joined his own on the floor and he found himself being absolutely ravished by this passionate man he was currently pinned under. It felt as if he were just coming to life for the first time and every little gasp and moan he produced was from genuine pleasure as Shigeru left no inch of his body unexplored and pillaged.

By the time the pivotal joining was at hand he was a mass of quivering need and only Shigeru could give him what he so desperately desired. He cried out in a haze of pleasure and pain when Shigeru took him in one swift stroke. My God...it was like he'd come home and never wanted to leave again. This was where he belonged, safe and loved with his new lover.

It wasn't long before nature demanded completion. Shigeru held nothing back as he rode him hard and fast, his own completion quickly creeping up on him. Satoshi held on tightly as each thrust rocked his smaller frame and bursts of white hot pleasure exploded from somewhere deep within himself. His name was falling from Shigerus parted lips like a prayer as he came violently within him.

Shigerus release catapulted him into his own, making his back arch almost painfully as his seed shot up between them. Satoshi couldn't help but scream as the intensity of his orgasm temporarily blinded him to all else. Though eventualy they both came floating and panting back down from the heights of passion to reality and they were faced with each other and what they'd done.

But there were no regrets as they clung to each other, exchanging soft kisses and gentle carresses. "I told you I loved you..." Shigeru whispered moments later. Satoshi smiled and snuggled closer into his warmth. "I beleive you...and I can honestly say I love you too." Shigeru chuckled and ruffled the already untidy raven hair on his head. "You only say that becasue we just had mind blowing sex."

Satoshi sat up, suddenly quite serious. "Geru, if it had only been sex I would have been long gone by now." The sound of Shigerus laughter was like a balm to his spirit as he was once again pressed beneath him. "Baka...I was kidding. I know you love me to. But just in case I better repeat the lesson for both our benefit." Shigeru said as he set about making love to Satoshi over and over again as the night wore on.

finite


End file.
